1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to broadheads for use in bow hunting, and more particularly, to a broadhead having means for limiting penetration of the broadhead and arrow into an animal during hunting.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Broadheads for arrows having penetration limiting or arresting mechanisms to limit the penetration of the arrow through an animal are well known in the art. These arrows typically include a hook-type mechanism which engages the hide or skin of the animal upon impact and slows the penetration of the arrow through the animal due to the force or speed of the arrow. These arrows may also include means for tethering the arrow to the animal in the event the arrow passes through the animal's body.
Various broadheads having means to increase the diameter of the path of the arrow once it hits the animal's body are provided in the prior art, which in turn act as a means for limiting or slowing the penetration of the arrow through the animal. These devices are generally provided to create a greater destructive path upon impact, to insure that the strike will be a fatal one.
A concern among hunters, particularly hunters tracking birds or small game, is that an arrow impacting with an animal at high speed will tend to pass directly through the animal, allowing the animal to escape. A particular concern is that the thus wounded animal will then slowly bleed to death over a period of days, often enduring a very painful demise Accordingly, it is important that the strike be a fatal one, preferably with the arrow remaining secured to the animal to prevent loss of the arrow.
Consequently, numerous attempts have been made to provide a means for securing the arrow to the animals body upon impact, to prevent the arrow from passing directly through the animal's body. In response to this need, several prior art broadheads provide complex pivoting or spring action mechanisms which activate upon impact to create an extensive damage path and to further imbed the arrow into the animal's body. A typical arrow having a pivoting mechanism attached to the broadhead is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,529 to Vocal, which provides a hook mechanism at the rear of the arrow for snagging the animal and causing the pivoting members of the broadhead to open outwardly to imbed the arrow in the animal.
A similar arrow having pivotable arms at the broadhead is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,619 to Bergmann et al., which provides an arrow head having a pair of movable blades which pivot outwardly upon impact to cause significant bleeding. A similar type device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,460 to Adams.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,999 to Sturm discloses a hooked catching device which loops about the shaft of the arrow and is attached to a string or line positioned within the hollow arrow shaft. As the arrow passes into the animal, the hook mechanism catches the animal's hide or skin and tethers the arrow to the body in the event the arrow passes through the animal. A similar type device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,310 to Lamond which provides a clip-on penetration limiter which engages the hide of the animal upon impact and slides down the arrow shaft where it catches the fletching at the rear of the arrow to stop further penetration of the arrow.
A significant disadvantage of the devices of the prior art which are attached to the arrow shaft lies in the fact that the aerodynamics of such a device significantly effects the flight of the arrow and in many cases will result in a miss which can lead to a lost arrow for the hunter. As the arrow spins during flight, the increased weight at the arrow head, which in many cases is not symmetrically balanced about the broadhead, causes the arrow to rotate or spin non-symmetrically causing the arrow to veer off target and miss the animal.
Another disadvantage of the prior art broadheads which provide a string or tether line which tethers the arrow to the animal in the event the arrow passes through the animal is that the string or line may break, or the animal may simply drag the arrow by the string and escape.
Disadvantages associated with the pivoting blades and pivoting stop mechanisms include premature opening which affects accuracy and penetration, in addition to increased cost during manufacture to provide the complex pivoting mechanisms.
The novel broadhead having penetration limiting means formed as part of the broadhead of the present invention obviates the disadvantages encountered in the prior art and provides an efficient penetration device for preventing the arrow from passing through the body of the target animal. Furthermore, the broadhead of the present invention is aerodynamically balanced to provide a true and accurate flight, and further is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.